ions between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to 4,897
meters high; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land,
Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area, and Ross Island on McMurdo Sound;
glaciers form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating
ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent
Natural resources:
none presently exploited; iron, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum,
and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small,
uncommercial quantities
Land use:
no arable land and no plant growth; ice 98%, barren rock 2%
Environment:
mostly uninhabitable; katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from
the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau; a
circumpolar ocean current flows clockwise along the coast as do cyclonic
storms that form over the ocean; during summer more solar radiation reaches
the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an
equivalent period; in October 1991 it was reported that the ozone shield,
which protects the Earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation, had
dwindled to its lowest level ever over Antarctica; active volcanism on
Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica; other seismic
activity rare and weak
Note:
the coldest, windiest, highest, and driest continent

:Antarctica People

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants; staffing of research stations varies seasonally
Population:
Summer (January) population:
4,115; Argentina 207, Australia 268, Belgium 13, Brazil 80, Chile 256, China
NA, Ecuador NA, Finland 11, France 78, Germany 32, Greenpeace 12, India 60,
Italy 210, Japan 59, South Korea 14, Netherlands 10, New Zealand 264, Norway
23, Peru 39, Poland NA, South Africa 79, Spain 43, Sweden 10, UK 116,
Uruguay NA, US 1,666, Russia 565 (1989-90)
Summer only stations:
over 40; Argentina 7, Australia 3, Chile 5, Germany 3, India 1, Italy 1,
Japan 4, New Zealand 2, Norway 1, Peru 1, South Africa 1, Spain 1, Sweden 2,
UK 1, US numerous, Russia 5 (1989-90); note - the disintegration of the
former Soviet Union has placed the status and future of its Antarctic
facilities in doubt. Stations may be subject to closings at any time because
of ongoing economic difficulties.
Winter (July) population:
1,066 total; Argent